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9.9.15

CROCKER'S FOLLY, ST JOHN'S WOOD

Crocker's Folly is a gastropub like no other. In fact, it's not really a gastropub at all but that's what it's described as on Google, slightly confusingly. It looks a bit like a pub from the outside, but as soon as you go inside, the chandeliers, grand dining room, and luxurious interiors are more those of a top end restaurant.

I ate at Crocker's Folly a couple of weeks ago with Zomato and a group of bloggers, and we got the chance to check out dishes that were being tested for the autumn menu. It was an incredible meal of 12 dishes, with matching wines - so much food - and a fascinating insight into the workings of a restaurant that's being run a top chef. There were some dishes that really stood out for me, so I very much hope they make the cut for the menu so you can try them too.I'm not going to talk you through everything we ate, that's pointless as it's a test menu. What I will do is tell you about my favourite things in the hope that they make it onto the menu for you to try too.For snacks we had deep fried chicken skin with herbs and an onion juice. Delicious, though you wouldn't a larger portion than this - the skin was crispy and not at all greasy and the onion juice, which had been boiled down from many onions, was sweet and tangy.

Raw lamb was another winner for me. Raw anything normally wins for me so this was no surprise though it's a while since I'd had raw lamb. However, I felt it was slightly overpowered by the parmesan crisp it was served on which was a bit too thick.

Veggies/pescetarians are in for a treat if this dish makes the menu - cauliflower had been brined, then josper grilled, and topped with crème fraiche and caviar. The cauliflower was perfectly cooked and had a wonderful smokiness to it, while the little beads of caviar added a much needed juiciness.

From the mains section my favourite dish by far was the venison pie, with pickled courgette, carrots and girolles. The pie was decadent and rich and the meat inside fell apart with the touch of a fork. It was such a hit that I'm sure it will make the menu, and it's the worth the trip there for this alone. A perfect autumnal dish.

Another goodie was the pearl barley with mussels. I don't eat a lot of carbs but always make an exception for pearl barley. The flavours were well balanced though the piece of mussel shell still attached to one of the mussels didn't go down well, but I'm sure that won't be an issue if this does make the menu. Perfectly steamed green beans always add to a dish.

We popped down to the kitchen towards the end of the savoury dishes to see the josper grill in action, and before I knew it I'd been put in charge of cooking everyone's beef, then deboning and slicing it. Hot, but fun work, that resulted in a fabulous piece of steak, though on top of all the food we'd already had, it was a struggle to eat. Again, I'm sure this will be on the winter menu.

Now here's where it gets strange. I'm a savoury girl. I like the occasional pudding or sweet but can't remember when I've ever declared it my favourite course of the meal. Well, Crocker's Folly changed that. The second of the pudding offerings was a baked alaska with bergamot ice cream - wow! It was light and fluffy and creamy and lightly scented, and oh so good! I'll definitely be back for the pie and the baked alaska!

I'll let you know as soon as the new menu goes live at Crocker's Folly, as they're currently still serving a late summer version, but do check them out anyway as they serve fabulous food in a stunning location. Big thanks to Zomato for inviting us all to try it out.